Tuesday, May 31, 2011

WOW, if you live on the east coast, you know how HOT HOT HOT it has been the past couple of days! Blacksburg set two new heat records both yesterday and today...can't wait to see what tomorrow brings. We had a freezing winter, then a couple of weeks ago all we had was rain all day, every day...and now we can't get a break from the heat & humidity. I don't think we'll ever win! To beat the heat after work this morning, I headed to the pool with my roomie.

Pool @ Maple

We got there just in time to grab some good chairs before the wave of people rolled in. We could only stand to be there about 2 hours though because it was soooooooo hot!!

Yesterday, I went shopping with my Momma & cousin - it was her 14th birthday present! A shopping trip! Found some good deals! I got some linen pants, a t-shirt dress with rope belt, running shorts, denim shorts, bathing suit, halter dress and some sandals. I think I'm set for summer! :)
I'm super excited to wear the white linen pants - found them for super cheap at Target! (love Target) I've never owned a pair, but I figured they would be nice and light for summer. Already broke in the bathing suit today at the pool!

Meg & I outside of Old Navy

SB had his first game in Martinsville tonight...can't wait to hear how they did! The temperature down there has been around 98/99 degrees. You couldn't pay me enough to stand out on a baseball field for hours in that heat. Bless those little souls...

Tonight I had my CPR/First Aid certification training! I am now certified to perform CPR on adults & children! I also know way too much about first aid/broken bones/yucky stuff. It's good stuff to know though, if you don't have your certification you should get it! I work with elementary school children so it's definitely important for me to have updated!

Getting up at 6:00 + running to work + out in the heat + 6 more hours of work tonight = I'm exhausted!
Hope y'all enjoy the short work week :)

Monday, May 30, 2011

Today isn't just a day off of school and work. Today is a day to honor the thousands of men and women who have served and are serving to protect our country. Many died, many survived, but to all of them I say: Thank You.
Today is a day to show gratitude to a veteran and support to those currently serving. I am personally saying a prayer for the military personnel aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise. (Go Navy!)

"I thank God for my life and for the stars and stripes. May freedom forever fly, let it ring. Salute the ones who died, and the ones that give their lives, so we don't have to sacrifice all the things we love..."-ZBB

I will post more later. I went on a shopping trip with my mom & cousin for her 14th birthday! :)
Hope everyone has had a fun, safe weekend!

Thursday, May 26, 2011

I am laying in bed sick today (great way to spend a sunny summer day huh?) and I am thinking about some recent obsessions of mine, and I thought I would share :)

1. DIY Projects

I am on the "college student budget" which means although I'd love to go crazy at Pottery Barn & Ikea, it ain't gonna happen. I was browsing blogs & I found some perfect DIY projects for my new room that I can complete this summer! Check out these three projects (and the blog that gave me the inspiration/directions: Honey We're Home) that I WILL have done by August!

Starburst Mirror

Fabric Covered Canvas

Inspiration Board

Check back later to see if I actually do them - and yell at me if I don't!

2. Arnold Palmer Iced Tea/Lemonade
This is actually a constant obsession of mine. I went into a Sheetz a couple weeks ago & found two more versions - one with pink lemonade and one that was Peach flavored...sweet! Here is one of my favorite commercials though, that compliments my obsession:

3. Market Totes
You can ask anyone (especially my girl BPatt) that I am a regular in the "big Krogs" on South Main Street. I just love to go grocery shopping & it seems that I find a reason to go to Kroger daily! These shopping bags are soooo cute & they help cut down on all the annoying plastic bags that are really only good for trash bags or doggy bags.

Lilly Pulitzer Market Tote

Vera Bradley Shopping Tote

I personally have the VB bag. It's beautiful summer colors are perfect to take to Kroger, or even to a picnic or baseball game! It has an inside pocket & it's super durable so I don't think I'll have to worry about this baby ripping like you have to sometimes with the plastic ones. Love them! (Other styles/colors available)

4. Planning Travel
I love to travel! On my bucket list is to make it to a "major city/town/attraction" in every state. There are so many places I want to see, but a few are sticking out in my mind right now.

I would love to go to Maine because it's where my Grandmother was from. We have somewhat extended family still living there (we don't keep in touch, really) but I'm sure they'd give us a fantastic travel guide :) They live in Kennebunkport which is probably where I would want to head! I'm not much for cold weather, but I love the ocean and all the lighthouses! Plus I'm sure I could score some awesome seafood :)

SB is from Austin and I think if it were up to him, they would have never left! He only has great things to say about this city, but I'm not surprised! It's appears to be bursting with things to do, places to go, music to listen to and lots and lots of delicious food to eat! Being from a small town, I would really love to go to a big city like Austin & have the experience of hardly ever being bored. Plus, as they say, everything is bigger in Texas & my motto on life is Go Big or Go Home, so it's perfect! And again, I'd have a pretty sweet tour guide :)

Nashville. Country Music Hall of Fame. Need I say more?

Well, of course with it being summer, I have the beach on my mind :) Key West is one of those places where the pictures are gorgeous, but I don't feel like it's real until I see it for myself! I've been to Florida multiple times & I lovvvve it. I am always tempted to just keep on going South til I get to the Keys! Along with Hawaii, Key West is one of my top Beach Vacation spots to hit up asap!

5. Summer Movies
Last night, or rather this morning, I went to the premiere of The Hangover Part II.

If you saw the first one and liked it, you are sure to like the sequel. It's more or less the same plot but thankfully they used all the same characters so it was just as funny. It definitely has some crude humor in it (probably shouldn't go with your mom or young children) but that's part of what makes it what it is. Definitely worth seeing if you liked the first one! The theater was packed! One showing was sold out, but there was one following 1 minute later so no worries. There were some good previews too. (I love the previews!) Horrible Bosses and Bad Teacher both look good!
Here is the next one on my list:

Hehe :)

That's all for now! It's time to face the day! Hopefully this cold kicks the curb soon so I can get back into my groove.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Ashley, of Sweet Southern Prep, is hosting a IT'S A GIRL THING GIVEAWAY! <-- Click here and check it out :) You can be entered numerous times to win a personalized applique pillow with Lilly print! It's so cute :) If I don't win - I might just buy one!

Next, we made it to the zoo! Here was my favorite little guy:

Red Panda

SB & I were almost the only ones there - I think the forecast scared everyone away! It was fine by me :) The only reason we went (honestly) was to see the new otter exhibit and do ya know what? IT WAS CLOSED! Of course the day we choose to go, they have closed it for 2 days to do some work on their pool. Needless to say, SB was upset...but at least there were lots of other cute animals to see! Among them, besides the panda, were a snow leopard, those red-faced monkeys, a wolverine, cougar, red wolves, prairie dogs, lynx, and more! The Mill Mountain Zoo is a wonderful (and inexpensive) way to spend the day :)

Yesterday I had to go to the dentist - which is my least favorite place on earth! I have the nicest dentist, but it's more the role/idea/fact that I have to be there is what I hate. It's always cold & smells funny. Afterwards SB bought me a frosty. I got a keeper :)

I hope everyone is having a wonderful, well dressed Wednesday. Don't forget to check out the giveaway!

Monday, May 23, 2011

What a great weekend! Finally we got some real summer weather. It got up into the 80's, and then of course ended last night with a somewhat scary thunderstorm. Normally, I'm okay with thunderstorms (especially if I'm inside) but last night the wind was so strong & the lightning made it seem like daytime! It was intense.

As I mentioned earlier, I was a sponsor for confirmation on Friday, and as promised - here are some pics!

All of the girls @ Sarah's house!

Katlyn & I before heading to the church! She is too cute.

All of the girls at church! Kylie was so excited...clearly!

The siblings :)

All-in-all confirmation was great! We both remembered where to go/what to say/etc, and I am so proud of Katlyn for choosing to be confirmed!

On Saturday, I did some yard work at home, with SB's help, and then my Aunt & Uncle from NOVA came down with their pups. Luke, Scout & Trace ran around and around with Sadie tagging right along! It was so cute!

Sadie had sooo much fun with her 3 lab cousins

On Sunday, I started feeling sick which is not fun. On Saturday my allergies were attacking me, so I thought it was the aftermath of that but as I sit here, I am still blowing my nose just about every 5 minutes. Sleeping was also difficult the past two nights...ugh! I just hope I'm better by the time I have to go to work!

On Sunday I took my (almost daily) trip to Target and did some other errands as well. SB broke one of his golf clubs on literally the 3rd swing he ever took with it, so we went to deal with that. Dick's was having a boat sale - it made me want to go get on the water!
That evening we went putt-putting:

David & Steven ready to tackle the course

It was so much fun! SB got two hole-in-ones so we have a card for Red Robin & Texas Roadhouse. The only thing I hate about putt-putt is that sometimes you get stuck behind a super slow group and then you either awkwardly wait behind them or you have to just play your hole multiple times and/or really slow. Of course that happened yesterday, but the boys took advantage of that extra time & goofed around.

Oh boy..

Today, I am crossing my fingers that it doesn't rain so that we can go to the zoo & the baseball game later!

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Y'all...It's Saturday..?! I can't believe how quickly this week went by - especially since I feel like I didn't do that much (especially blogging -oops). With school being over, I just have to make sure I remember to go to work Tue-Fri, but I honestly don't have much to do! The bf and I have gone out to lunch several times at all of the places in B'burg that he missed eating at while he was at school. That has been nice, especially since he'll be into the full swing of baseball when June gets here!

Yesterday I was honored to be a Confirmation sponsor for the second year in a row. Last year, I sponsored one of SB's younger brothers and this year I am sponsoring my good friend Sarah's younger sister, Katlyn. I was so excited to hear that she wanted me to be her sponsor. It's a huge step to be confirmed in the church & I'm just so honored I could be a part of her special day! Now, for next year...I have to find someone to sponsor & keep my streak alive! hehe

Other than that, work has been same 'ol, same 'ol...one of the kindergarteners today told me that I look like I'm having a baby...how's that for a confidence booster?! I guess I gotta step up my mileage! Haha, this lil guy is one of my favorites (am I allowed to have favorites??) though, so I forgave him quickly :)

Today, my Uncle & Aunt from NOVA came down to spend the night. They brought their two black labs, Scout & Luke, which in addition to Trace (black lab) & Sadie...there are dogs all over the place! Sadie is definitely the odd one out, but she fits right in - and she's in HEAVEN with so many cousins to play with!

MY BLOG LOOKS DIFFERENT! I just spent about 1-2 hours finding the perfect blog background to rejuvenate my blog. What do yall think? I also changed the title of my blog to something more casual. For all I know by next week it will all be changed again...

The weather today got up to 80 degrees!! YAHOOOO! I have been so sick of the rain VA has been getting the past week or so. According to Patrick McKee we should be seeing the 80's all next week...he better be right! SB & I are going to go to the zoo (I hope) on Monday. I am lovin' me this summer sunshine <3

Monday, May 16, 2011

Now that I am completely done with school, I have started a to-do list for the summer! So far all I have planned is to hang out with the boy & go to work, so I'll have some free time. Here are some of the things on my list:

Read several books - all the way through. I have trouble with starting multiple books at a time and never getting through any of them.

Buy some bar stools to last through the summer - paint/finish them.

Organize my room into one "theme" or color/pattern/?

Find a smaller dark brown desk. We had enough trouble getting the one I have into my room - when I move it would be chaos to try and move it again! I did get it for only $25 at a yard sale though, so I am pretty proud of it. I need the space, though!

Scrapbook my Disney pictures!

Plan (and execute) a full on AmericanWelcomeHomeparty for my brother in July

Okay, so the real list is much longer than that, but it's filled with silly things like "go get ice cream at so-and-so" and whatnot.

Here is what I'm reading now:

I have to get this finished before the movie comes out later early next year!! I'm about halfway through. Like I said, I started reading this a long time ago but put it down when my schoolwork demanded my full attention. I absolutely love Nicholas Sparks and ALL of his novels. Not only is he a wonderful writer (full of life and romance) but he is also a really good person! He is a native of North Carolina (right below us) and places most of his stories in NC. He is very in-tune with his community and even coaches the track team of his local high school. He is an avid runner himself, which I can relate to! If you don't follow him on Twitter, you should!! @SparksNicholas. He tweets a lot about what he's writing, how it's going, what else is going on throughout his day, and even does contests where you can win signed books! LOVE HIM!

Another check of the list was finding non-booty jean shorts! I was finally successful in finding some at a good price. Here are the ones that I wanted:

J. Crew Selvedge denim shorts; $79.50

Sarah let me borrow hers that are similar to these and I could have worn them all day. The were very comfortable, fit well & most of all - didn't show da booty or the high thighs! I am comfortable with body and everything, but I hate sitting down and having to pull my shorts down every 5 minutes.

However, my college student budget didn't react well to the J. Crew price tag, soooo I ended up with:

American Eagle Destroyed Boyfit Midi Shorts; on sale for $24.95

I'm not a huge fan of the "destroyed" look - I could rip my pants fo free if I wanted to! But, for $25, I would rather have the comfort of the longer length than be worrying about the ripped look. Plus, compared to their other styles, these were hardly ripped.

For now, they will have to do! I'm just happy to have something I can wear to work and not feel self-conscious!

Anyone have any bedroom theme/color/pattern ideas? Again, I'm working on a college student budget but when I move into my new townhouse in July I want to refresh my room! So far I have dark wood furniture and a light blue quilt. But I love pink and purple :) Then again, my school colors are maroon & orange... This might take a while!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

It has been raining all day/week/year it feels like. I don't have much to say besides I can't wait until warmer weather. I'll be able to go to the pool/river, wear a sundress everyday, curl my hair and have it stay all day, GET MY TAN ONNNN, and eat ice cream outside!

And July 15 - in TWO MONTHS EXACTLY.

When I get to see this baby roll into Norfolk:

I like having things to look forward to :) Countdowns are my favorite!

Saturday, May 14, 2011

This week has been so exhausting, and yet so much fun. With the end of exams came move-out/going home time. My roomie/partner in crime Brittany left for home (in Vermont) on Thursday. It's super weird to come home and not hear "Hellllllloooooooo!!??!?" when I walk in the door! It's also strange to walk upstairs and see a lonely little table and NOTHING in her room :( She has the sweetest lil family though, so I'm happy for her that she is home to spend time with them - and her pup pup Sasha!

On Wednesday, the boy came home. I drove with his Dad to PA AND BACK in the same day - talk about a killer drive. After however many times I've driven up there, I could probably do it with my eyes closed, but up and back in one day was a lot! We got up there around 1:00, packed up the suburban, got lunch at the Shiny Place and then headed on home. Honestly, it kind of just felt like one big drive and not really going "to and back" from one place.

I feel like that made no sense...It's past my bedtime!

Anyway, I am now trying to fill my days with fun and exciting things - minus passing out! Yesterday I took a little tumble into the corner of my dresser. Thankfully Steven was there to catch me (literally) before I fell completely to the floor where I probably would have hit my head even harder! It was the strangest sensation in the world - I couldn't see or hear and I felt like I was going to get sick. I have learned my lesson...eat breakfast, keep your upstairs room under seventy-some degrees & don't clean underneath your bed and then stand up really quick and then kneel back down to your dresser! Ugh :( My eyebrow has a nice little extension...meh.

On a lighter note, today, sb and I went to Panera for lunch (my favorite!), ran to Target & the mall, then I had my regular work shift at 3. Work is the only thing that has stayed the same...I hope I remember to go each day! Whooooppps.

Today was a verrrrry interesting day. First, I woke up at my usual 6:00 to go to work at 7:00. That was fine - got to read People magazine until the first kiddos showed up around 7:50. Sometimes there are kids practically waiting for us at 7:00 when we get there, and then sometimes we won't get kids until after 8:00! You never know! That's why I always come prepared with some nice literature or my iPod.

After work, I headed home to my lovely roommates, Sarah & Brittany. We changed into some cute clothes - thanks Sarah for the shorts & Brittany for the shoes! Hehe :) - and then started out on our roadtrip to the Ft. Chiswell Polo outlet! ....or so we thought...

Brittany is so excited to go shopping with her Lily tote!

As you may be suspecting...the outlet is no longer there! We drove all the way out there for nothin :( However, we discussed the whole way down about how I have never been to a Bojangle's...sooooo instead, we went to the Bojangle's. Nothin like a roadtrip to Bojangle's.

First trip to Bojangle's!

Okay, so after that we headed back home & went downtown to shop. Sarah was looking for a graduation gift for her boyfriend and she was bound and determined to find it!

We headed to 310 Rosemont, a boutique store downtown, and she was successful :)

Brittany & I played with the pup pup while Sarah tried to make a decision ;)

Yay! She made one! Look how happy she is!

Since we had wasted a little bit of time, we wanted to make the most of our day in downtown B'burg, so we decided to shop around some more. We headed for Alligator Alley and - what do ya know - it is closed on Tuesdays!! Just our luck. womp womp.

Then, we thought how good some Ben & Jerry's would taste on a hot day like today. So we headed in to Kent Square!

Here we go!

What do ya know - it's closed!!

We are 2/5 at this point...kind of embarrassing. But that's okay because we went to Mad Dog, they were open, and we all-in-all had a good day together as best friends forever :) and ever :)

We even ended the day with some Elderberry's!!!!

After tonight/tomorrow we will all officially be done with the semester :) It has been one of ups and downs (mostly ups but the downs were spikes) but I wouldn't trade spending it with Brittany & Sarah for anything!

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Today is Mother's Day. I am sooooo thankful for my mommy! She is such a wonderful woman and I am lucky to have her as my mom. We went to church together at 8:30 and then went home and took Sadie for a walk. My Aunt, Uncle and cousins came over and we all went to Oddfella's restaurant in Floyd for brunch! DELICIOUS!

I got some iced tea, cinnamon french toast, fruit, and stole some of my Mom's home fries! YUM! The best part about Oddfella's is their live music & mason jars. Luhhhhhh dat.

Today, our roommate Elyssa moved out. I'm pretty much okay with it because she doesn't like me very much for some reason. Oh well! "Save the drama for yo mama" is one of my fave quotes and it applies to this situation. I don't like to fill my life with people like that...makes me frustrated!

My roomies Sarah and Brittany are my top dudes. I am so excited to spend the next couple days with them! Even though we all have a couple more school things to do, it will be nice to not have to worry about the Negative Nancy that was in our life.
We are going to do some tie-dyeing, some fun dinners, maybe take a trip to Paint 'n Fun - who knows!

Saturday, May 7, 2011

My puppy Sadie is growing so fast. Her 1st birthday was on March 2 of this year. We adopted her May 1, 2010 which means we celebrated her adoption day six days ago!!

She really is the best dog in the world. Most people say that about their dogs, yeah, but I'm pretty sure it's true. We hardly had to do any potty training with her, she loves the car and her crate, walks well on the leash and loves people!

First of all, I spent the past hour or two decorating my blog. I am so excited about it, it's sort of embarrassing!

I don't really know how to blog, so I'll probably end up saying too much...someone can feel free to yell at me or give me some advice!

The end of the semester (the year!) is finally here. With it comes feelings of joy and feelings of sadness. First of all, I am PUMPED to be done with Biology & Consumer Rights. They were certainly not my favorite classes ever, to say the least...
Also, the end of spring semester means - IT'S SUMMER TIME :) I love the summer! I don't have any impressive plans, but the idea of getting a tan and sleeping in is...heavenly.
I am sad though because I don't want my AMAZING, BEAUTIFUL, FUNNY, WONDERFUL roommate Brittany to go back to Vermont :( That is the wrong VT she is heading for...
It is going to be SO WEIRD without her here. Sarah and I are gonna have the whole place to ourselves...what in the world are we gonna do?!
I am just SOOOOO sad that Sarah and I's roommate Brittany is leaving :( That is the only sad thing about the end of the semester. The only one.

Good memories from this year at 730 ghc: Brittany's 21st - the spilled margarita, the Christmas party - nothing broke or spilled!, CACAW! - not "good" really, but enough said, ACC game in Charlotte, the stolen wreath - and ending up knowing the thief who put it in her profile picture, that time we almost experienced a tornado - way to go mountains, our boy Travis who we will never actually know, ZBB concert :) and way...way...more.